The Vote
by i love zuko
Summary: We all know Edward left Bella in New Moon. But what if Bella never jumped, and somebody else decided that he had been gone long enough? ExB...I'm sorry it doesn't make much sense, but I like being vague in my summaries!
1. Emergency

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series._

**Edward's Point of View **

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I was stalking a mountain lion, waiting for it to move again. I hadn't hunted in three weeks, and that was as long as I could stand it before the thirst took over every one of my senses and burned my throat with unimaginable pain.

I had recently lost Victoria's trail, and I felt useless. I stayed locked up, hidden, until the thirst drove me out.

This had become my habit while I was not actively tracking. I found that whenever I was overcome with thirst, it dulled the pain slightly. The pain of losing Bella.

_Bella._

Of course, the pain wasn't even close to gone, and the agony ripped through me at the thought of her name. I didn't know how much longer I could last before I went back to her.

_No._ I couldn't give into the weakness, the pain, and go back to her. I would never forgive myself. And of course, if she was happy, she would never forgive me.

And why would she? I had left her without a plausible explanation, told her I didn't love her. To ask for forgiveness wouldn't be allowable.

While I was lost in my thoughts, the lion had gotten away. The phone vibrated again. I have hated being around anyone since I left Forks, but upon Carlisle's request, I had kept a cell phone with me in case of emergencies.

But now somebody was dialing, hanging up, and then dialing again. I really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, so I pressed ignore and checked my voicemail.

It was Alice:

"Edward, please please please come home! This is important! We all need you here, NOW! We're in Forks. Don't worry, we haven't gone near Bella, but we all need to talk to you. We need your help with something. I'll elaborate when you get here. For now, HURRY!"

I growled and quickly found a bear and drained it. It would keep me sane, for now. Obviously, Alice and the rest of my family would know better than to drag me home for something trivial. It must be as important as she said. After I finished my meal, I quickly made reservations on the next flight to Washington, flew to Seattle, rented a car, and got to Forks within a day.

&&&&&

A/N: Okay, it's short, but my first chapters of a fanfic usually are, and I wanted to end it here. Unlike my previous stories, I'll probably update fairly quickly on this one because I actually have the entire story planned out. It will be unlikely that I will get writer's block. I'll update as soon as possible, if anyone really likes it.


	2. Why Are We Here?

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series!_

**Carlisle's Point of View**

I had no idea why we were all back in Forks. Alice knew Edward had made us all promise not to come back here, not to go near Bella. I couldn't understand why she would break her promise, drag us back to our old home without an explanation, and then, once we were here, call Edward and tell him that there was an emergency and he needed to come home immediately.

Edward had been a mess since he had left Bella. He had withdrawn emotionally from all of us, and then he left us physically, without a genuine reason for his absence.

Alice had seen it, though, and she informed us that Edward had gone after Victoria, the red haired female that had accompanied James in tracking and killing Bella last spring.

None of us approved of his new pursuit. It was dangerous, and not one of us wanted him hurt or…I didn't even want to consider the possibility that he would find her and do something reckless, resulting in his own existence ending.

A few weeks ago, Alice had had a vision of Bella jumping off a cliff, and she hadn't seen her come back up from the water below. Rosalie had wanted to tell Edward, but we talked her into keeping her mouth shut. Or at least, we thought we had.

Rosalie had spent an entire day trying to call Edward while we were on a hunting trip and Alice had gone back to help Charlie. Alice saw that Bella was alive, and she left just as quickly without Bella knowing anything about her visit. As for Rosalie's phone calls, Edward had never picked up his phone. And fortunately, she had refused to leave a message, thinking it wouldn't be right, so he had no idea what had occurred.

Regardless, I didn't know what Alice hoped to gain by dragging Edward back here. All of us realized that if he didn't come back of his own free will, then he wouldn't stay. He would probably just shout at Alice, and probably at all of us, for not keeping our promise to stay away from Forks. Then he would leave, and probably check up on us less often than he already did.

&&&&&

**Once again, short. But I **_**promise**_** the next chapter will be longer! I don't think this fic will have tons of chapters, though. Maybe ten? If you're lucky?**

**I hope you enjoyed it!**


	3. Announcement

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series!**_

Alice's Point of View 

EDWARD IS BEING A STUBBORN IDIOT!

That pretty much sums up all I have to say about what's happened since last September.

I mean, how could Edward _do _that to Bella? The only reason I even agreed to this was because I assumed that since he loved her so much, he would eventually come back on his own!

And maybe he would…sooner or later. But this has gone on long enough! Bella is getting older every day.

I _saw_ how miserable she was when I went back to her house, thinking she was dead. She doesn't want anyone but _him_! Couldn't he realize that? Why was he _doing _this?

Besides, Bella _claims _to everyone that asks that jumping off that cliff was recreational, but I don't think Charlie buys it.

And neither do I.

If that cliff diving _was_ suicidal, Edward needed to come back, _now._ Before she did something reckless and was actually successful in ending her own life.

I've _told_ Edward this would happen. But he didn't listen to me! "Bella promised she wouldn't do anything reckless or stupid," he had told me.

Even if she wasn't trying to kill herself when she jumped off the cliff, even if it _was_ recreational, cliff diving isn't exactly what I would call cautious and well thought out.

Clearly, she was breaking her promise to Edward. Therefore, I can't believe any of his reassurances. I was going to have to take it into my own hands to make it so he would come home and go back to her and change her and be _happy, _damn it!

Which is why I dragged everyone back to Forks. Once I told everybody the reason they were here, I'm sure they would side with me, against him. Then Edward would have no choice!

&&&&&

Edward had looked at me in panic when he had first gotten here. Then, when he saw that I was calm and my thoughts were hidden, he glared.

Still, I had managed to get everyone including him to the dining room table under his fierce glower. I sat at the head of the table, waiting for the rest of my family to sit down.

When they did, they looked at me, confused. I figured I should begin before anyone said anything.

"As we all know, we weren't supposed to be here. I'm hoping Edward will forgive all of us for coming because of the urgency of these circumstances."

At 'all of us', Emmett threw me a disbelieving look. I ignored him. "I think, that since we are, in fact, a family, we should make any major decisions _together._ I have some very strong opinions I need to express, but I also want to know what everyone else thinks about this issue, too."

It was obvious from the looks on their faces that I was being much too unclear about what this issue was. I decided to get to the point. "So I think we should all vote on whether or not it would be best for Edward to go back to Bella."

At this, Edward growled, a sound that would make any human wet themselves. I pretended not to hear him, though, and continued. Though I already knew the answer, I figured I still had to ask. "Edward, what's your opinion on this subject?"

&&&&&

I couldn't _believe_ this! Alice had turned against me, and she was encouraging the rest of our family to do the same!

Everyone had been confused as to why Alice hadn't told them her motives before, and it seemed that I was the only one who understood. She wasn't trying to keep it from them.

She was trying to keep it from _me._ So I wouldn't leave until I was sitting at a table, with my family waiting for my answer.

Alice had backed me into a corner, and she knew I would be curious as to who would side with me.

I was sure that Jasper would see my reasoning. He knew it was hard to keep Bella safe when we were with her. The proof of that could be found if one was to remember her birthday party. She had gotten a _paper cut_, and she ended up having to have stitches and being frightened half to death because Jasper couldn't control himself!

Rosalie, too, wouldn't want me to return to Bella. She had always been jealous of her, and although it had bothered me at the time, I was glad it worked out in my favor now.

Alice, obviously, would side against me. And Emmett would probably be with her.

It troubled me that I wasn't sure of Esme's and Carlisle's decisions. If they decided Alice was right, then she would win the vote.

It didn't matter, though, except in principle. No matter what my family had to say, I would not put Bella in danger again.

"No," I said. "Bella would be better off without me."

&&&&&

I make Alice sound evil in this chapter, don't I? Well, we all know it's all for the best if Edward and Bella are back together, don't we? She just has to make  
Edward see why, even if her ideas are a little…eccentric.

I've had so many more alerts than reviews, and I'd like to know why. I usually don't tell you to review, because I know it probably won't affect your decision either way, but I'd like some feedback. Love it? Hate it? Why do you like it or hate it?


	4. Vote

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series!**_

**Esme's Point of View**

Edward had been so distant since we left Forks. Up until he left us, we had all thought he would get over it. But now it was obvious how much Bella meant to him.

Why couldn't he see that they were perfect for each other? He had ruined his chance at happiness because he thought he 'wasn't good for her'. He never even thought about what _her_ opinion about all this was.

Bella had jumped off that cliff, and her experience was similar to mine. Both of us had lost the most important things in our lives. She had lost Edward. And I had lost my baby.

And it was obvious she loved him enough that she wouldn't get over him easily. 'A clean break' wouldn't change that.

She may not have realized it, but her subconscious may have been seeking relief from the pain when she jumped off that cliff. Maybe, somewhere deep down, she had _wanted _to die.

But that wasn't the point. Obviously, she wanted Edward back. We wanted him to be happy. I knew what my decision was.

Ignoring Edward's glare (he knew my answer as soon as I thought it), I said, "I think Edward should go back to Bella."

&&&&&

Rosalie's Point of View 

If this was only about Bella, I would agree with Edward. He should leave her alone and they both should get on with their lives.

But he couldn't seem to forget her, which made this not only about Bella. This was affecting my whole family, and I had to help Alice put a stop to it.

Yes, Bella was annoying, and yes, it drove me insane wondering why Edward was attracted to her. Yet, for some unknown reason, he _was._

Esme and was right. Edward needed to be with Bella, and we needed to be a family again.

Even if it had to include _her._

Edward looked shocked at my decision as he found it out a second before everyone else.

"Edward should return to Bella."

&&&&&

Carlisle's Point of View 

Rosalie's choice shocked me, and apparently Edward. He just sat there, gaping at her, until he realized what he was doing and his gawk became a glower.

Esme's choice, however, didn't surprise me. She had made her opinion clear on many occasions. And so had I.

"I agree." I said simply.

&&&&&

Emmett's Point of View 

Bella was hilarious. She made life entertaining. She fell all the time, and all her human reactions were just…_comical_.

I don't think she minded that I laughed at her all the time, though. She knew I didn't mean it…I hope.

She was like a little sister to me…and to all of us. None of us were happy to see her go.

And of course, it was worse to see Edward break down like that and run away from us. Esme said he needed some 'time to himself'. Carlisle said he was alone 'so he could get over this problem, and then he'll come back to us.' I disagree. He's just running away from his problems, and they're not getting any better.

So maybe we'll have to help him solve this problem, whether he likes it or not.

"Me, too."

&&&&&

**Jasper's Point of View**

Everyone knew how Edward and Bella felt about each other, obviously. But they couldn't imagine to how deep their feelings ran.

I hated to admit it, but Edward and Bella's love was _at least_ as strong as Alice's and mine.

And after Edward left her, his feelings were so distressed and wretched that it gave me an _awful_ headache, and I figured it was the equivalent to a human migraine.

Could vampires get migraines?

Either way, I knew I was partially the cause of this problem. If I hadn't lost control at Bella's birthday party, then we might not be in this mess.

I knew I had to help in any way I could to fix this. I sighed and said, "Edward and Bella belong together."

&&&&&

Edward's Point of View 

My entire family wanted me to betray Bella!

This was appalling. Surely they could see that it was just too dangerous for Bella to be with a vampire!

I had to get out of here. I couldn't just sit here while they tried to ruin Bella's life!

"I realize your opinions, but I don't agree with them at all. So, I'm sorry, but I have some business to attend to. Goodbye for now." I said hastily. Then I took off like a bat out of hell.

&&&&&

A/N: Carlisle's POV is extremely short, I know, but that's because he pretty much expressed his opinion in chapter 2. You know how he feels, and why he feels that way. Therefore, I felt no need to make this story annoying and repetitive.

And Rosalie's is pretty short, because, for those of you who have read Miscalculation, if I had gone on it probably would have copied her opinions and reasons in there. So I had to be vague (yay!).

And I stole a line that is roughly equal to one said in one of the extras written by Stephenie Meyer for New Moon. Can anyone spot it?


	5. Alice's Plan

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series!**_

**Edward's Point of View**

Alice got in my way before I could get out the door.

I was all ready to yell at her, push past her, and leave, but she started talking before I could do any of these things.

"Edward, please stay, just for a little while? You don't have to go back to Bella, but we all miss you. Why can't you just stay for a few days? A few days won't matter in the long run in the hunt for Victoria."

I glared at her. She had found out about my tracking Victoria. She probably also knew that I was nowhere near to catching her. And of course, my whole family probably knew by now.

"We promise we won't go anywhere near Bella, or anyone in Forks. We can just stay here! And we can all go hunting together. But we have to be extra careful of the boundary line, because the werewolves are back."

I was so surprised by this declaration that my frown faltered and turned into a gape.

She didn't give me time to respond, though. "_Please, _Edward?"

She was looking at me so pleadingly that if I didn't know her better, it would be heartbreaking. I remembered the thoughts of my family as they considered their decisions. Most of them were centered on my well-being.

If I wanted to make them let this go, I would have to convince them I could hold myself together without Bella. What better way to do that than to stay a few days, quit being antisocial, and go hunting with my family?

Also, everyone obviously cared about me and wanted what was best for me. They went to all this trouble to try to help me. It made me feel guilty about trying to run out immediately.

I would stay for a few days. And, more importantly, I would resist temptation, resist the aching inside of me, and stay away from Bella. _Nothing_, not my family, not my own desires, could change the fact that what was best for her mattered to me most.

This was going to be a thousand times harder than resisting her blood. Impossible. But I would do it.

For Bella.

&&&&&

Alice's Point of View 

It took everything I had to keep my most prominent thoughts out of my mind. All my years of practice at controlling my thoughts were concentrated on this one task. I guessed I could take the easy way out and focus on something trivial, but that would give away that I was hiding something. Edward had no idea I could hide my thoughts without him knowing, and I'd like to keep it that way.

"Fine," I heard him say distantly. "I'll stay for a few days. When do you want to go hunting?"

"How about tomorrow?" I asked, keeping my mind off of why we couldn't go now.

"All right," he replied, confused.

We went back to the kitchen and sat down at the table. We didn't need to explain anything to everyone else, because, of course, they would have heard our whole conversation, one room away.

Everyone was ecstatic, and so was I, of course. I had to keep my mind off why!

"Jasper, could I _talk to you_?" I asked him quickly, standing up as he got to his feet, confused.

I had chosen Jasper to help me with my plans because:

1. He was the only other one in our family that could keep secrets from Edward without his knowledge.

2. Seeing as he was my husband, our family would have other assumptions as to why we were leaving together. If I asked anyone else, it would seem suspicious that it was only the two of us.

"Is now really the best time?" He asked as we ran through the forest. He seemed surprised that I would drag him away from the rest of our family at a time like this.

I waited until we were about ten miles away, well out of Edward's range, before I even thought about why we were here.

"Edward and Bella need to be back together," I said bluntly.

He looked confused. "But you promised Edward you wouldn't bring that up again."

"I lied," I admitted brusquely. "And besides, staying quiet isn't going to help Edward. He's just going to go back to what he was doing in a couple days."

"Do you have a plan?" Jasper asked, grinning.

I grinned back. "Don't I always?"

&&&&&

A/N: Hahaha! A cliffie…sort of. I'm hoping this is different enough from other "Edward comes back" stories that you're not already bored.

**See you next chapter!**


	6. Phase One

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series!**_

**Jasper's Point of View**

Alice and I were putting our plan into action. We had to do everything we could for Edward.

I was better than Alice at hiding my thoughts from Edward. I could manipulate his feelings to make him more unsuspecting. This is why I had to be the one to carry out this phase of the plan.

"Hey Edward, do you want to go out hunting with me and Emmett tonight? You look a little…dehydrated."

Normally, he would have laughed at my use of the word. But ALB (After Leaving Bella), he didn't smile or laugh at all.

He just nodded and asked, "Why isn't anyone else coming?"

"Carlisle has to work, and Rosalie, Alice, and Esme just went hunting three days ago."

He still looked suspicious, but he let it go. We rounded up Emmett and took off into the woods.

"How far are we going?" He asked when we were running.

"Not too far. Everyone still wants to spend more time with you before you leave."

He nodded, looking guilty, before he slowed down slightly until he was behind me, letting me lead. An unusual gesture.

&&&&&

**Alice's Point of View**

While Jasper was taking care of his phase of the plan, I had my own agenda. Edward would be furious with me for doing this, but it _had_ to be done. For reasons previously explained.

I couldn't see any part of Bella's future right now, and I wondered why that was.

So I checked up on her early this morning, and was shocked by what I saw. I expected some of what I observed, but not all.

Bella was, of course, broken and hurt. I went to her room while she was asleep, and she was screaming. I had no idea what she was dreaming about, but I knew it couldn't be good.

But the part that really alarmed me was the person that came in the morning. He looked like he was from the La Push reservation.

Carlisle had told me about werewolves, and this boy fit the description perfectly. He was _huge_, he probably had a high temperature, and the _smell!_ Ugh!

I think he smelled me too, because he was looking around with his eyes narrowed and nostrils flared.

I decided it was probably time for me to go. I carried out the first step of my plan and left, hoping that since the werewolf hadn't killed her yet, he had enough self-control to last through the day.

By the end of today, Bella and Edward would be together again.

My family would be whole again.

This had _better_ work!

&&&&&

I decided I might need some more information to convince Edward that he needed to go back to Bella when my plan got to it's crucial point.

He could be so damn _stubborn_, and I wasn't going to let him ruin everything this time. I was taking all the precautions.

I was starting to love the fact that he could read my mind.

I went back to Bella's house and found that her truck was gone. And so was the werewolf.

Disturbed by the fact that she went off with him, I waited until noon, when I heard the police cruiser pull up in the driveway. Charlie was home for his lunch break.

I lingered in the tree I was hiding in until he had been inside for a few minutes. Then, I smoothed my expression, hopped out of the tree, and knocked on the door.

_Damn_ it! I had forgotten to bring a car! Maybe he wouldn't notice that I clearly had no way of getting home…

I quickly called Rosalie and asked her to drive her car to Bella's house, leave it on the street in front of it, and run home. And to for God's sake keep quiet about it!

I think she agreed. I was interrupted, though, by Charlie opening the door and shock crossing his face. There was anger there, too, but I could tell it wasn't directed at me. He obviously was holding a grudge against Edward for leaving.

This would be something else I could use to convince Edward. Charlie had still blamed Edward for Bella's near-death incident when we had left. If Bella hadn't broken down, he probably wouldn't have cared too much. Or at all.

"Do you have a minute? I need to talk to you about something…" I pressed when he remained frozen.

He moved with a start. "Of course! Come on in," he smiled apologetically.

We went into the kitchen and sat down at the table. He was eating a sandwich. "Can I get you anything?" He asked, jumping up again.

"No, thanks. I'm fine." I replied. He was obviously nervous about me being back, because he connected me to Edward. With good reason.

"So, you're probably wondering why I'm here…" I started.

He just waited.

"You see, I was wondering how Bella was doing. Um, Edward really didn't realize the consequences of his leaving…But I did. So I…was just wondering, is she doing all right? How bad was it, when we left?"

He seemed reluctant to talk; it sounded like this was hard for him. "She was catatonic in the first week. She just lay in bed, not moving, or eating. I had no idea what to do. I didn't want to be the one to hospitalize her, so I brought Renée up from Florida, to take her there. Maybe being somewhere new, somewhere that didn't remind her of _him_ would help her.

"Before, when I would talk to her, she would seem unresponsive, like she couldn't hear me. But this time, when her mother and I told her where she was going, she threw her belongings all over the room, screaming that we couldn't make her go, that she wouldn't leave Forks. She started crying about it for the first time, and didn't return to her stationary behavior, so I let her stay."

"So she's better now?" I pressed, even though I knew the answer.

"No, I mean, her body's normal, she goes to work and school and did her homework. She ate and slept normally. But…she wasn't back to normal. It was like she had no emotion. She didn't talk to me unless I started the conversation, and even then she was unresponsive.

"She doesn't seem _that _bad, now, though…" I prompted.

"Yeah, her friend Jacob Black's helped her a lot. She's gotten better, there's finally some light in her eyes, and she talks to me more…"

"It's good that she's gotten better," I agreed, even though she didn't _sound_ that much better when she was screaming in her sleep, or even when she was talking to this Jacob Black. She still looked like a mess.

Charlie faltered after he saw I wasn't going to argue on my brother's behalf. "I don't know if she'll ever completely get over it, though…Even with Jacob, she's still not normal, still never completely happy."

"I hope she gets better soon. I really do. I'm sure Edward does, too, even though he doesn't know how to show it."

His expression angered. "What are you talking about?"

"He still cares about her, even if he doesn't call or write. He just wants her to get on with her life."

"That's not what he told her." I could tell he was just barely holding back from shouting at me.

"What did he tell her?" I had been wondering this for a while. What had Edward said to make her not follow us, to leave us alone? I knew she wouldn't buy the 'I'm not good for you' crap, but I had no idea what else he would say.

"He told her he didn't love her." Charlie said quietly, scrutinizing my expression.

I tried to hide my reaction, and then failed. "_What?_ What the _hell_ was he thinking?"

"I have no idea, but whatever he was thinking, I'm pretty sure it wasn't centered on Bella's well-being."

I, on the other hand, was sure it was. But his idea of helping Bella was so wide off the mark that it turned out he was making it worse!

I just nodded at Charlie's assumption. "I think I should probably go now. Your lunch break's almost over. Thanks for talking to me, and I think Bella should be getting better soon…any time now."

He looked confused at my foreshadowing, and I hurriedly walked out the front door.

Fortunately, Rosalie's car was out there.

Unfortunately, Rosalie was sitting in the driver's seat.

"What are you two up to?" She asked as soon as I was in the passenger seat and we were going seventy down the road (past the speed limit, but slow for her).

"We were just talking about old times, you know, stuff that's happened." I replied vaguely.

"Not you and Charlie, I meant you and Jasper!" she yelled frustration, sensing I was avoiding the question.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Did Edward go hunting with Emmett and Jasper?" I asked, wondering if Jasper had gotten done with his phase of the plan.

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "I won't tell you unless you tell me what I want to know."

I thought she could keep it to herself, and she did vote against Edward…But the fewer people that knew, the better.

"You'll find out tonight." I replied, and as she glared at me, I pulled out my cell phone and called Esme. Yes, Edward, Emmett, and Jasper were out hunting together. Perfect.

As soon as we were under the cover of the trees, I hopped out of the still-moving car. "Thanks for the ride, Rosalie! See you later."

I heard her growl of frustration, and laughed. She wouldn't be mad for long. My whole family was going to be so happy with me after this.

…Except possibly Edward…

&&&&&

**A/N: Alice is such a conniving genius! I try to make her sound that way, anyway.**

**Can anyone guess what Alice's scheme is before I put the next chapter up?**


	7. Intervention

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series!**_

Bella's Point of View 

I had the nightmare again tonight, after Jacob keeping it at bay for so long. Charlie told me I was screaming in my sleep again. He kept looking at me strangely and asked if anything was wrong.

This was rare for him. Charlie had never been a big talker.

So I asked _him_ if anything was wrong. He just looked embarrassed and changed the subject.

About an hour later, Jake came over. He was acting all weird and edgy, and he wouldn't tell me what was wrong. I kept pushing until he left with a lame excuse about needing to talk to Sam.

I was mad at myself for driving him away, but I was angrier with him. Didn't he remember how I hated anyone keeping secrets from me? After_ he_ kept the secret from me for a while? That he didn't love me?

I couldn't let my mind wander down that path again. If I let myself get in too much pain, I might start stalking the hallucinations yet again.

I had told Jacob about them, and he had been hurt, at first, that I had used him before. Then he was angry, not because of my reasons, but because I had put myself in danger for a figment of my imagination. He had made me promise not to pursue them any longer, and I had reluctantly agreed. The cliff diving had put everything in perspective for me.

I couldn't afford to do anything dangerous. Life certainly wasn't worth living without Edward, but I couldn't think of only myself. Too many people needed me. Renee. Charlie.

Jake. Jake had been extremely disagreeable when it came to me still loving Edward. I think he finally became frustrated with the fact that I would never let go of him.

He was only thinking of me…mostly. Of course, I had figured out he wanted much more than friendship a long time ago.

I couldn't put him through all that pain. He deserved someone better than me. I couldn't ever love him the way he wanted me to.

I used to think that Edward and I were made for each other, but now I see I was only half right. Edward could move on with his life, but I was stuck in Forks, unwilling to leave the place that reminded me of him.

I was on treading the line between obsession and avoidance, shying away from anything that reminded me of Edward, like music, but putting all my effort into staying in Forks.

I was going insane, and Jacob was getting worried about me. He said I needed to let go of Edward, to forget him and move on.

I would never forget.

Never.

&&&&&

Jacob's Point of View 

Charlie called me early in the morning, telling me that Bella was having nightmares again. I rushed over to her house, thinking about what I was going to say. She hadn't been responding when I stated the obvious, that her bloodsucker wasn't coming back.

One time, she had gotten angry and refused to speak to me. I was willing to wait a week for her to cool down, so she would have more time to think and there would be less bad feelings between us, but she beat me to it. On the third afternoon, she called, hysterical, begging me to forgive her.

Of course, I did, in a heartbeat. I told her there was nothing to forgive. I know what my heart is telling me. I'm in love with her.

And that's why I have to keep her away from the Cullens.

This morning, when I was over and Charlie had left for work, I smelled one of _them._ It was from their coven, I was sure of it. I scanned the view outside the window, but of course I didn't see anything. I think I must have been acting jumpy, because Bella asked if anything was wrong.

She wouldn't take no for an answer, and of course I couldn't tell her the truth. It would just hurt her or scare her.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, and I told Bella I was going home and left the house. Naturally, I was going to see Sam, and tell him that the bloodsuckers were back.

On my way out, I found a note slid under the door.

_Bella,_

_I love you and am so sorry I left. I never should have said what I did. It was only for your own good. Please come to our meadow so we can be together again. I could spend this whole letter apologizing, but that would, I'm sure, get tedious for you. I'll see you soon._

_Love, Edward_

Needless to say, the letter smelled exactly like their coven. That bloodsucker was trying to get her back, after what he did to her! She would get her hopes up, and soon, he would crush them again. He would break her, maybe beyond repair this time. I made a quick decision.

I couldn't let her see this letter.

I stuffed it into my pocket and walked out the door, walking to my Rabbit and driving home as fast as I could.

I couldn't tell Sam what I was doing. He would say it went indirectly against the treaty.

I knew what had to be done. I had to go to the meadow Bella and I had found a few months ago with Quil and Embry and force that bloodsucker to leave Bella alone.

I would have to do it.

For Bella.

&&&&&

A/N: Ah, did you see the repetition right there between this chapter and chapter 5 at the end? Anyone? Oh, well. I'm sorry for not updating, but I've had a lot to do. I won't bore you with the description.

I hope the next chapter is up faster, but I can't make any guarantees. Reviews inspire me, though!


	8. Mistake

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series!**_

AN: Sorry for taking forever to update, yada yada yada, I hope to update sooner next time, but no guarantees. Sorry.

Edward's Point of View 

Jasper was acting strange the whole time we were hunting. He was up to something, I just knew it. But astonishingly, I couldn't find what I wanted to know running through his head.

I knew Emmett was completely oblivious, because he's worse at hiding things than Jasper. He wasn't in on it, whatever _it_ was. He also didn't seem to notice Jasper's strange behavior.

Jasper was very jumpy, and the strangest, most random things kept running through his mind. He once proclaimed his love for grizzly bear blood, even though his favorite was black bear, and he kept singing songs in his head.

I finally realized I was missing something very obvious.

I sprinted ahead of Jasper, cutting him off. Then I whirled around, facing him. "What are you hiding from me?" I demanded, outraged.

Jasper's Point of View 

Okay, maybe I _wasn't_ better at hiding thing's from Edward than Alice was.

I tried to save myself, keeping anything that would give me away off my mind. "Who would try hiding anything from _you_?"

He glared at me, but dropped it. I knew this conversation was far from over, but Emmett had caught up and was looking at us strangely. I ran ahead again, heading for my destination and the final phase of the plan.

Before, I had asked Alice what Bella would think when she found out that we had tricked Edward into coming back to her.

"That'll just be our little secret," she had said mysteriously. "Edward certainly won't tell her, and the only other people who will know about it are you and me. And Emmett, but he can keep his mouth shut when he wants to."

I had laughed at her implications, and I agreed. "Our little secret."

&&&&&

It took every ounce of my concentration to not think of where we were going, and why we were headed there. Edward would, of course, know what area we were in, but I hope he didn't realize we were going there on purpose until it was too late.

Finally, we got to the meadow where Edward and Bella declared their love for each other. Alice had planted the note for Bella to find, and Bella should be there waiting for us. Alice was supposed to meet up with us in a few minutes.

But when we broke through the trees to the clearing, I definitely wasn't expecting what I saw.

&&&&&

Jacob's Point of View 

I was just expecting one bloodsucker to show up in the meadow, but there were three that came through the brush into the clearing.

The one in front was stared at me, wide-eyed, with his nose wrinkled. He seemed more shocked than anything else. Before he spotted and scented me, though, the look on his face was one of expectation. He knew Bella was supposed to come to the clearing.

It surprised me, though, that Bella's leech didn't seem to anticipate meeting anyone here. He looked more shocked than the blonde leech in front, in a way.

The brown-haired leech was the last to come into the clearing, and he snarled at me menacingly. I knew they couldn't do anything to me, though. They had to obey the treaty.

Just in case, I had everyone in the pack except Sam about a mile away, listening for any signs of conflict. It wouldn't be good to have Sam involved; I could tell by the looks on their faces that they didn't know that werewolves still existed. I knew I was ruining the element of surprise in a big way for the pack, but I couldn't just stand by and let the leech take Bella!

If I had just kept the letter, he would have eventually decided to come to her and take her away. Obviously, as she was still mooning after him, whatever spell he had over her wasn't broken, and she would go back to him effortlessly.

I stood my ground and stared all three of them down, trying to keep control. I had to keep myself from phasing so I could deliver the message I had come to give.

"Bella got the note you sent her, but she's not interested. You left her, and you broke her, but I was able to help her. She loves me now, not you. She doesn't need you anymore. She was scared you would try to force her to come with you, so she asked me to come in her place to deliver her message. She says she knows you'll get over it, because you don't really have a heart. Why else would you want to break hers? She doesn't want any more to do with you, and she says goodbye." I glared at the bronze-haired bloodsucker.

I was getting slightly hysterical at the end, and so I finished up quickly and cut off. I didn't want him to suspect that I was lying about anything.

There wasn't any hurt at all in the youngest-looking bloodsucker's eyes. There was confusion, guilt, and fear. I was surprised. Legend has it that vampires have no emotions, and I certainly wasn't expecting those emotions, if any.

I had to get out of there, or I would phase and attack. Before any of them could say anything, I was out of the clearing, phased, and with my pack brothers.

_Ugh! You smell _awfulPaul informed me.

I sighed and we all ran home. After all, with bloodsuckers around, we couldn't leave the reservation unprotected.

It only occurred to me a few hours later that we had left Bella completely unprotected.

&&&&&

A/N: I tried to pack a bunch of information in without boring you to death, so sorry if you were bored! I'll try to do better next time.


	9. The Short Filler Chapter Without a Name

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series!**_

Edward's Point of View 

I could tell right away that the dog was lying, and I realized what I had left Bella to. She had made friends with werewolves in my absence! I don't think he had been a werewolf for very long, either. Bella had been in danger this entire time!

I felt sick with guilt. Not only had I lied to her, I had put her at risk, and she obviously hadn't stopped loving me. I could tell how much she still cared by listening to the dog's thoughts.

The dog left abruptly, confirming my idea that he couldn't control himself. He couldn't stay for very long without having to fight the temptation to change.

Jasper's thoughts were flowing freely, and I could tell what he and Alice had done. They had sent a message to Bella, but she had never gotten it. The dog had intercepted it. But now I knew what I had to do.

My family was right; I never should have left. Bella wouldn't get over me, and I couldn't let her suffer like that. I had seen flashes in the dog's mind of what I had done to Bella. I couldn't let her go through that pain any longer.

I had to go back. I couldn't let her put herself in the danger of being friends with someone like Jacob Black. Besides, I didn't know how long I would last even if I didn't have this information. My will was weakening. I loved her. I needed her.

I just hoped she would forgive me.

&&&&&

Alice's Point of View 

I couldn't see anything that was going on in the clearing! This was _so_ frustrating! What was going on?

All of a sudden, I got a vision of the clearing, but it didn't tell me much. Emmett, Jasper, and Edward were the meadow, not saying anything. I guess they looked like they were in various states of shock.

I realized what the vision meant. I don't know what happened before, but Bella wasn't with them, and that might mean she was with her werewolf. She wasn't safe!

I decided to go check on her before I went to the meadow and talked to Jasper about whatever happened.

Sam's Point of View 

I was running in the woods near La Push, checking for any signs of the red-haired leech. I crossed her scent, and the trail was headed straight for Forks.

We had figured out before that she was after Bella, and I sprinted as fast as I could for her house. I couldn't let the bloodsucker hurt anyone.

On the way, it occurred to me that someone else should have been on patrol and smelled her before she got this far. Where was everyone? I shouted as loud as I could in my mind, but I got no response and I couldn't feel anyone else's presence in my head.

They must all be human, but what were they doing? Didn't they realize we needed to be alert in times like these?

There was no time to run back to La Push to find Jacob or any of the others. I would have to take on the red-haired leech on my own.

&&&&&

A/N: Short chapter! Just pretty much a filler before the climax, so I had to stop it here! Sorry!

The next chapter will be more interesting, I promise!


	10. Resolution

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series!**_

A/N: I have no idea if I've said this before, but this story's coming to a close. Maybe one or two chapters left! Alice's Point of View 

I crossed Victoria's scent, and it was headed straight for Bella's house! I had called Bella's house to see where she was, and she picked up. I hung up right away and didn't say anything, of course.

She was going after Bella. I had to stop her.

While I was running, I called the house, Esme, Carlisle, and Rose's cell phones. Nobody picked up.

I reluctantly called Jasper, Emmett, and Edward, even though everything might be ruined if Edward found out we were with Bella. Once again, I got their voicemails.

I had no idea if I could fight Victoria on my own. In fact, I was _sure_ I couldn't. But Bella was in trouble, and I couldn't just stand around and do nothing.

I had to save Bella. Or at least, I had to try, even if I died trying.

I couldn't let Bella die. I couldn't let our whole efforts be for nothing. She was a part of our family now, and we all needed her for Edward to be happy.

I had to do this.

For Bella.

For Edward.

For my family.

&&&&&

Sam's Point of View 

When I got into Bella's house, the leech had her cornered. The microscopic part of my mind that wasn't overwhelmed by her stench and by the fact that the only time I had fought a vampire was when I was backed up by four other werewolves guessed that Charlie was at the station.

I leapt at her, snarling. I knocked her sideways, and we rolled on the ground. I sank my teeth into her arm and pulled back, sending it flying across the room. It flew into something with a loud crash.

But as I was tearing off her arm, she was tearing and ripping at me. I knew I couldn't last much longer if we fought this closely. I jumped back, hardly aware of the instinctive growls ripping from my throat.

I just happened to glance at Bella for a fraction of a second, and her eyes were in the process of widening. I had my back to the door, and I hoped her reaction was not to something entering. But the stench of vampire growing stronger dashed my hopes. The red-haired bloodsucker must have more friends than Bella thought.

To my surprise, though, the black-haired female leapt over me and attacked the other bloodsucker. She started ripping and tearing at her before being thrown off.

Now, the black haired leech (who had yellow eyes; I assumed she was a Cullen) was in trouble. It seemed that the red-haired bloodsucker was more skilled than her when she was prepared.

Against my better judgment (and because I knew I couldn't beat her on my own) I launched myself into the fight, attacking the redhead.

She swiped at my face and sank her teeth into the Cullen's arm all in one second. She seemed really desperate, though. She didn't seem to like being outnumbered.

I jumped back, growled lowly, then pounced. The Cullen had gotten her other arm off, and all of a sudden, we attacked her together. In a few seconds, she was completely dismembered.

We carried all the pieces into the backyard, and then the black-haired leech asked Bella if she had any matches. Bella mumbled something about the drawer next to the sink, clearly still in shock.

Alice's Point of View 

I found the matches where Bella had said they would be, and Victoria was quickly burning in Bella's backyard.

Now for the hard part. I had to go in and face Bella. Would she be mad at me for listening to Edward and leaving? Would she even talk to me?

It seemed I didn't even have to worry about anything like that. As soon as she recovered from the major shock she was suffering, she tried to run to me.

The werewolf, still in his wolf form, blocked her way and growled at me. Bella didn't seem to be surprised that there was a giant wolf in her living room.

"It's okay, Sam," She tried to reassure him. She even knew the dog's name!

He didn't seem to agree with her assessment. He snarled at both of us.

She took an automatic step back, and he looked like he felt guilty for scaring her. She carefully stepped around the dog and over to me.

"Alice?" she asked, like she thought her mind was playing tricks on her.

I smiled. She threw herself at me and started sobbing. We both ignored the warning growls coming from the werewolf.

"We're back, Bella. All of us are back. None of us will ever leave without you again."

She looked at me in disbelief. I was hit by a vision and my smile widened. Edward knew about mine and Jasper's plan, but he was coming back for Bella. He wouldn't leave her again. Everything was going to be okay.

"Especially," I stated, "not Edward."

The dog was back in his human form. He must have realized the form didn't matter when I could kill him either way, not that it was likely that I would.

"Bella, are you going to choose them over us? They left you, we'll always be here. How can you do this to us, to Jacob? Like it for not, you're one of us now."

Bella surprised me by answering before I could. "No, Sam, I'm not. Do you have any idea what Emily, Kim, and I go through when we don't know what's happening to you? When you're running, we worry and tear out our hair, wondering if you're all right. And besides, Jacob has left me before, too, when he found out he had become a werewolf."

Both of us opened our mouths to speak, but she cut us off. "By the way, Alice, you don't have to lie to me. I know Edward doesn't love me, and I know he's not coming back. But that won't make me mad at you, or the rest of your family, or even him. I still love him, no matter what, even though he doesn't want me."

"One more question, and then I'll throw you to the sharks…or the leeches." The dog seemed to want to keep me from speaking to Bella any longer. "What _are_ you going to tell the bloodsucker?"

Bella glared at the use of the words, then glanced at me.

I sighed. Bella would figure out the truth soon enough. Edward should be the one to tell her, anyway. "I guess that will just have to be _our little secret_."

&&&&&

A/N: Well, that's the end, except for the epilogue, possibly. I hope you've enjoyed this story! I might edit this chapter, because I don't know if it flows quite right. I tried to cram too much information into one page, and if you have any suggestions…Review!

By the way, I mentioned Kim in this story. Note that this is taking place awhile after Bella jumped off the cliff, so some of Eclipse's events will have happened by now.


	11. Realization and Panic

Wow, 61/2 pages. I _must_ love you. 

Not the epilogue yet. I changed my story plan.

A huge thanks to Katluva0323 for making me continue with the story instead of shortening it up like the bad shortener I am. Do you like the twist I put in?

I would go on and on about how sorry I am for making you wait, but I know you don't care about my excuses, you just want to read. So here it is, a semi-long chapter to partially make up for the wait!

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series!_ Alice's Point of View 

Bella was sobbing and I was trying to calm her down, with little success. Victoria coming back, me coming back, leaving her werewolves; she had just been through way too much today.

As if she wasn't traumatized enough, Edward came bursting through the door, nostrils flared, his eyes searching. He relaxed when he found the stench of werewolf was stale, and the werewolf was gone.

So, Edward was calm…kind of. But remember what I said about Bella being traumatized? Yeah…She fainted when she saw Edward.

Edward rushed over when he saw Bella collapse, panic in his eyes. He found in my thoughts, though, that she was going into shock, and immediately took her from me.

"Should we take her to Carlisle?" he asked urgently.

"You're the one who went to medical school!" I snapped back.

He took off running out the front door. Where, I can't say.

All I know is this:

Edward had come back for Bella.

&&&

Bella's Point of View 

I woke up, and sensing the light was too bright for it to be anything but late morning, I groaned and rolled over on my stomach. I wasn't ready to get up yet, and my head felt like it had been beaten with a sledgehammer.

My dreams had been driving me crazy lately, and this one was the worst one yet. Victoria had come back, and Alice and Sam had fought her. Ugh…I hoped the pack was okay, and nobody had gotten run into a vampire and gotten hurt.

This was insane. I couldn't live like this! I had even expressed it in my dream. I couldn't sit and wait with Emily and Kim and not know what was happening to the werewolves while they searched for a creature that, if she split them up, could easily kill them, one by one.

In the back of my mind I realized it would be hard for them to be separated, with their mind link, but the three of us always worried about everything that _could_ happen.

I knew I had to think about the end of my dream, even if it made the hole in my chest ache around the edges. I couldn't ignore it. Edward had been in my dream. He had come back for me. But my mind was torturing me, because all that happened was I saw him run in…and…nothing.

I really have no idea what happened after that. But my subconscious usually gave me a detailed nightmare or a wonderful dream that was just as bad as a nightmare when I woke up and remembered that Edward hadn't come back and was never coming back.

But this dream wasn't as bad. The pain remained at a dull ache as confusion took over. What were my dreams trying to tell me?

Oh well, it probably wasn't helping me to stay in bed and dwell over my dreams. I remembered I had promised Kim that I would meet her at Billy's today.

I raised my head, hoping I wasn't too late to get there. I did a double take. My alarm clock couldn't be right! The time seemed right, but it said it was a day later than it was supposed to be.

I would have to ask Kim about it later. Maybe I had lost track of the days in my head…But I was sure I had gone to school yesterday, making today Saturday. It didn't make sense for it to be Sunday…

"You've been unconscious for a whole day, Bella," a voice said, and I was appreciative of the voice. It always explained things, helped me. Even if it did hurt my chest. The figment of my imagination that imitated how I remembered Edward's voice.

But it sounded too real, almost like he was in the room with me, not inside my head. Was the dream still going on? It would make sense, why would I be asleep for that long?

I looked around the room, knowing it would hurt me later, and saw Edward, sitting in my rocking chair, looking at me with relief in his eyes. Relief that I had woken up? I had no idea, even though it was my mind making this up.

I tried to get up, to go to him, but I was to tangled in the covers and I ended up rolling off the bed. He caught me before I banged my head on the nightstand.

He sat me on my bed, and took a step back, his eyes wary. I found my eyes filling up with tears. Even my subconscious realized that it was impossible for him to still love me. My dreams would no longer be magnificent, because it had stopped trying to placate me.

He watched the tears spill over, run down my cheeks, and his eyes became pained. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked softly.

"No!" I cried out, starting to hyperventilate. Why was this happening again, in the only place I could find solace?

"Bella?" My father came into the room, checking on me. I wasn't surprised that he was concerned. We had both thought the dreams that made me scream in my sleep were gone for good. That would make sense. If I was awake, and anything made sense.

He saw that I was sitting on the bed, crying, and it looked like was having an inner argument with the part of him that hated emotional breakdowns.

"It's okay, Dad. It was just a bad dream. I'm going back to bed." Of course I wasn't, but he needed to go back downstairs. Maybe Edward would come back if he left.

I had some twisted logic, but hey, it was my dream!

He looked worried, but he nodded and left, seeing that I needed to be alone.

Almost immediately, Edward came slowly out of my closet at an almost-human speed, caution in his eyes.

"Why did you come back?" I whispered. I needed to understand my dream.

His eyes searched my face. My tears had stopped flowing, but there were still drops on my eyelashes, my cheeks. He seemed to be okay with whatever he found in my expression, because he suddenly walked over to my bed and sat next to me.

"I came back because I couldn't stand being away from you any longer. I thought I was going to go insane from the loneliness."

"But…Alice, and your family."

"I couldn't stand being around them. They were with their true loves, and I was alone. I didn't used to mind it, until I met you. You've changed me, Bella." His expression had changed. I didn't really know how to describe it, but his face was warmer than it had been before. He seemed to really mean what he was saying.

I couldn't ask the question that was burning in my throat; I couldn't handle the answer. But I knew I couldn't resist for long, so I changed the subject before my body could betray me.

"Where is Alice?"

"Downstairs, with Charlie. She's trying to explain why you were gone for awhile when I had Carlisle look at you."

"When was that?"

"Don't you remember? You fainted, after the werewolf left."

"When I saw you," I whispered softly, almost inaudibly. I knew he would be able to hear me perfectly, though, and he cringed.

I groaned, ignoring that. My brain was too tired to try to interpret it now.

I should have known the two dreams would have been connected. I needed to wake up, now. My dream wouldn't give me answers; I should never have thought that. It could only tell me what I knew. And right now it was telling me what I wished would only happen: my angel would come back for me, and tell me that he loved me. Then we would live happily ever after, la di da, the end. It would never happen.

I realized I was getting angry now, at myself. I would never let Edward go, no matter how hard I tried.

Which I had never tried. I never wanted to forget him.

I looked up and realized he was upset, his eyes tortured and his breathing harder than usual. He was _really_ upset.

I tried to remember what I had last said. It was hard to remember what I said, easy to remember anything he did. I had just told him that I had fainted because of him.

I tried to make the conversation lighter, to make the figment of my imagination happy. "So, how long are you here for?"

He answered promptly, but the agony in his eyes didn't go away. "As long as you want me, whether you want me to leave right now or stay with you forever. It's your choice."

This was terrible. I was going to feel absolutely hideous when I woke up and he wasn't there, when I confirmed that he had never come back and he still didn't love me.

All these dreams were the same! He came back, said he was back forever, and that was it! And I was happy, until I woke up. Then I felt awful for the rest of the day. And this happened practically every day now.

I decided that keeping my emotions bottled up wasn't doing me any good. I needed to express them a little. So I stopped concentrating on trying to make imaginary Edward feel better.

"As long as I _want_ you? Isn't that what you said before? And you just left! I can't _believe _you would come back with no explanation, and lie to me _again_! I don't think I can take it one more time. When I wake up and you're not there, I don't think I can handle it."

He flinched at my explosive anger, even if it was in a whisper. I didn't want Charlie chasing him away again. There was hurt, guilt, and a little confusion in his eyes. Confusion?

"When you wake up?" he asked slowly.

"Yes, when I wake up from this recurring dream. The dream that's starting to happen every night, that leaves me happy until I realize that it's never coming true. That you still don't love me and you're never coming back. That I'll never stop loving you for the rest of my life, and I'll never be completely happy again. _That_ is what I'll wake up to. I—"

He put his hand over my mouth, and a shock ran through me at his touch. I looked up at him, dazed, but he was already talking. "Bella, you don't get it. I meant everything I said. When I said I didn't want you, it was as far from the truth as possible. I've always loved you, and I'm sorry. But you _are_ awake, and you are not going to wake up. This is really happening. What can I do to convince you?"

I shook my head. My dream Edward had never tried to convince me I was awake, but then again, I had never realized I was dreaming. Maybe this would be the last dream I would have like this.

He took his hand off my mouth, taking my face in his hands. "Bella, please, believe me. It was unforgivable for me to do what I did, leaving you while convincing myself you would get over it. I just—" His nose wrinkled.

"Okay, Charlie. I'll just see if she's awake." Jake was opening my door.

Immediately Edward was in front of me, crouched in a protective stance, a warning growl building in his chest.

Jacob was shaking, but he managed to calm himself slightly when he glanced at my terrified face. He took deeper breaths, and eventually the trembling went down.

"Yes, you should have paid better attention. I guess your sense of smell needs fine-tuning if you can't tell Alice and I apart. Did you really think she was the only vampire in this house?" I realized, too late, that Edward was responding to Jacob's thoughts. And Jacob wasn't happy about it. The trembling got more violent until he calmed down again.

Edward was talking again. "Go ahead."

Jacob growled. "_Alone,_" he snarled.

Edward just shook his head.

"Fine," Jake said, and made sure I was looking at him. "Sam told me what happened yesterday. After he and the Cullen downstairs killed the red-haired bloodsucker, you said you chose the bloodsuckers over us."

I just nodded; I couldn't talk. This was just way too hard. I sidestepped Edward, to his surprise, and walked up to Jacob, guilt in my eyes.

"How could you do this, Bella? We care about you, we protect you, and then you decide that you'd rather be with the leeches! Don't you see? They left you, and they could do it again. We would never do anything to hurt you, and _he_ made you practically catatonic."

I looked down, and mumbled, "I love them."

Jacob exploded. My answer had driven him over the edge, and I saw him filling up the room as he phased. I was too close. I was going to be crushed.

The wind was knocked out of me as I felt myself go flying. I vaguely saw the house behind me and Edward's arm around my waist as we landed. Before I hit the ground, he swung me up in his arms, protecting me from the fall.

"Charlie," I whispered. Charlie's house was very old and had really bad flooring. I wasn't sure if it would hold Jake's weight when he phased.

Edward still had his arms tight around me from behind. He whispered in my ear. "The ceiling caved in, but no one is hurt. Alice got Charlie out and Jacob's okay. Everything's all right, Bella."

I was pretty sure at this point that this was not a dream. This didn't sound like anything I could make up, not in a million years. Usually in my dreams, everything made _sense_; everything was predictable. Not now.

I turned around; I couldn't bear not seeing his face when it was right there. Edward was actually here in reality, and it didn't matter that he wouldn't stay. He was _here_.

I looked up at his face, and he was looking down at me with relief in his eyes. There was something else there, too.

"I love you," I whispered.

The other emotion took over his face. He loved me. There was no doubt about it as he took my face in his hands and kissed me eagerly. For once, he wasn't the one breaking the kiss. I did only when I couldn't stand not breathing any longer.

I smiled at him like an idiot and he smiled back until he took my hand and led me around the house. He stopped and said, "Charlie's wondering if you're all right. You'd better go tell him you're safe."

"Why can't you come?" I asked, stalling, not wanting to leave him.

He sighed. "Charlie's not too happy with me. I'm supposed to be banned from the house."

I frowned. "But—"

"We can talk later. Charlie's getting hysterical."

He must have seen the look of panic on my face, because he kissed my forehead, took my hand, and said, "Come on."

We jogged to the front of the house and saw my dad, freaking out. Alice was trying to calm him down, and, as soon as he saw me, he relaxed. But only slightly.

I was waiting for him to glare at Edward, or yell at me for holding his hand, or something. I couldn't understand why he was ignoring him.

"Jacob turned into a giant wolf!" Oh, that's why.

We had a problem.

&&&

There'll be another chapter, for sure, but I have no idea if there will be more than one. It depends on what I feel like writing and how long the chapter is. So there. 'Slater!


	12. A New Beginning

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series._ Bella's Point of View 

While Charlie was panicking, I whispered in Edward's ear, "Where's Jacob?"

"He ran after he saw that both you and Charlie were all right. I have no idea where he went."

"I'd better call Billy." I was going to walk inside and use the house phone, but Edward handed me his cell phone. I remembered, too late, that the ceiling was caved in in the kitchen where the phone was. I blushed as I punched in Billy's number.

"Hello?" Billy didn't sound upset…

"Hi, Billy, it's Bella. Has Jake come home yet?" I asked, careful.

"No, he was going to talk to you. What happened?" Jake obviously hadn't told him about the Cullens coming back. Over these past few months, Billy had kind of become somewhat like an uncle to me. But I still couldn't tell him what I had done to his son.

"Um…Well, Jacob phased and…" I trailed off, hesitant.

"Was anyone hurt?" Billy was worried now.

"No, we're okay, but, um, Charlie saw him."

"…Oh." Billy got really quiet, his voice unreadable.

"What should we do?"

"Why don't you and Jake bring him down here, and I'll talk to him."

I didn't have the heart to tell him I didn't know where Jacob was. "Okay."

"See you in a few minutes, Bella." He evidently was done talking.

"Bye." I hung up.

I looked up at Edward, and he looked upset. "What's wrong?"

"Are you sure you'll be safe down there? Can't you just drop Charlie off and come back?" He was worried about me getting hurt by the wolves.

I nodded. I didn't want to be away from him, plus I didn't want to have to face Billy, Kim, and Emily when they found out what I had done. I knew enough about the wolves and their relationship with them to know that I couldn't be their friend and the Cullen's at the same time.

He kissed me on the forehead, relieved. I whispered weakly, "See you soon," and walked over to Charlie.

My dad had been talking to Alice this whole time, trying to make sense of what was going on. It took some effort, but I convinced him to come to Billy's with me in my truck.

&&&

Edward's Point of View 

Bella drove away with Charlie, and if she wasn't back in twenty minutes, I was calling the dog's house and possibly going after her. She had left the number on my phone, and it's not that hard to look at "Call History".

After she was out of sight, I noticed that Alice was staring at me, a grin on her face.

"What?" I demanded, irritated.

She didn't say a word. She continued smiling. It was annoying the heck out of me.

"_What?_" I wasn't in the mood to deal with this. I had no idea if Bella would decide to chose the werewolves while they had her alone. I checked my cell phone for the time. Barely two minutes had gone by.

I was getting impatient, so I looked into Alice's mind and noticed that she had had a vision when I wasn't paying attention.

She displayed the vision in her mind, and I warily looked to see what had made her so happy.

_Bella and I were getting married. We both looked incredibly happy, and she had my mother's ring on her finger. _Emmett_ was performing the ceremony, and Bella seemed to have a hard time keeping a straight face throughout the vows. _

The vision cut out, and Alice looked at me. She grinned again. "You don't _need_ to be so insecure. She's chosen you, and it doesn't seem like anything will change her mind. Ever."

I frowned. "I've made things awful for everyone, haven't I?"

She wouldn't let her spirits be dampened. "It's about to get a whole lot better, Edward. You'll see."

I smiled, hoping, then thought of something else. "Red-haired vampire?"

My sister looked upset that I remembered, but tried to distract me. "Actually, the word the dog used was 'bloodsucker'. And apparently I can't see them. We may have to ask Carlisle about that, why do you think—"

I sighed inwardly and then cut her off. "Like you didn't see Victoria coming back for Bella because there was a werewolf there?"

She gritted her teeth. "Edward, I wouldn't bring this up with Bella if I were you. She was pretty traumatized after the event, and if you remind her of it she might get really upset and—"

I cut her off again. She talked entirely too much when she was nervous. "And when were _you_ planning on telling me, Alice? Don't you think I should know, as I was tracking Victoria down anyway?"

She gasped. "You were doing _what? _Edward, you could have gotten hurt! Or killed! Think of Esme and Carlisle and—"

"Alice, I know that you were already aware of what I was doing. Quit trying to change the damn subject!"

"Fine! If you won't let me finish a sentence, and you want to keep being like this, the reason I didn't want to tell you is that I knew you would react this way! Why can't you just accept the fact that Victoria is dead, and that somebody besides you killed her, and be happy that Bella is back and now you two can be together?"

"Oh, yeah, this is wonderful! Finding out my sister _lied_ to me for the past few months, and not just about your recent 'plan' to get Bella and I back together. I saw in the dog's mind that _Bella_ _jumped off a cliff_ _and you thought she was dead_. And you didn't tell me anything about it!"

"You _were_ happy until you brought all this up! You _always_ have to pessimistic about _everything! _That's what got us into all this! You thought you would ruin Bella's life. You thought about how _you _would feel if she was changed. You didn't even stop to think if that might be the only life she wanted, which it is. You didn't think about how she had become part of our family, how we loved her too! All you thought about was how miserable _you_ were without her! You didn't think once about what she felt, or what the rest of us felt when you wouldn't even associate with us!"

I had heard of people being so wrapped up in a conversation that they didn't pay attention to their surroundings. It had never happened to me, and I didn't think it was possible. I thought that if their minds didn't penetrate mine, then I would surely hear them approach.

How the hell I didn't hear Bella's truck, I have no idea. Either Alice didn't see it, or she didn't care. Now I'm left wondering how long Bella has been listening to our argument, and hoping she didn't hear anything she shouldn't have.

Bella acknowledged that I noticed her, and whispered, "Tracking Victoria?"

Alice spun around, surprised. Apparently, she hadn't noticed her.

"How is Charlie?" I asked quickly.

She knew what I was doing, but answered my question anyway. "Billy's telling him all the werewolf legends."

I tried to focus on something that would sufficiently distract her. "You haven't eaten in a while. Do you want to go somewhere to eat? There aren't many places, in Forks, but we could go to Port Angeles, or Seattle. Your father will never know you're gone."

"We don't have to go out, I can…never mind. Your choice." She blushed at the fact that she had once again forgotten that her kitchen was destroyed.

I led her to the truck, and opened the passenger door for her. She hesitated, then turned around. I thought she was going to protest me driving, and I was ready to submit myself to sitting in the passenger seat when she turned back to Alice, who was staring after us, her expression unreadable.

"You guys were fighting, and it's my fault." There was no doubt in Bella's voice as she accused herself.

"Bella, it's fine, really. We…just needed to vent. We're fine now." I tried to reassure her. As if something wouldn't ruin it.

"_You_ may be fine, but _I'm_ still mad. What right do you have to just come back into all of our lives and just say that everything's okay?" Alice was that something.

"_You _invited me!" I yelled back. I was really glad Bella didn't have any close neighbors.

"Yeah, I invited you. I tried to get you back together with Bella. I saved Bella. I covered for you with Charlie while you try to undo the damage you've done, and you yell at me! What was even the point of all that if it didn't fix anything? Are you just going to be mad at me and Jasper, and maybe Carlisle and everyone else for lying to you? Are you just going to leave us again, this time with Bella, or what? I really don't understand you, Edward!"

Bella decided to intervene. "Alice, Edward is just upset. And overreacting. He does that, you know." She smiled slightly, trying to alleviate the tension. "And Edward, Alice was just trying to help, and she was only thinking of you when she did things you didn't like. She just wanted you to be happy. And I'm grateful for it." She smiled more naturally this time, and I felt my anger draining away.

Bella was talking again. "Look, I care about you two more than anyone else in the world. I can't stand to see you fight. And it's not really even worth fighting over."

I looked at my sister. "I'm sorry, Alice. Bella is right. You were just trying to help. And you did. So, thank you, for everything."

Alice had resigned herself to not showing any emotion. She just nodded. I had no idea if I was forgiven or not.

Bella, however, I could tell was worried and upset. Before either of us could say anything, however, her stomach growled. Loudly.

She blushed deep red and looked at the ground. I heard a sigh, and saw Alice was smiling, her irritation gone. "Go feed your girlfriend."

I smiled back, seeing that my apology was accepted. I took Bella's hand and led her toward the truck. Bella looked back at Alice, "Do you want to come?"

Alice shook her head. "I'd better go tell everybody what the situation is with Charlie and the werewolves."

Bella looked unhappy again as she was reminded of her father getting told that the son of his best friend regularly turned into a giant dog. As I pulled out of her driveway, I thought of things to distract her. But she beat me to it.

"Hunting Victoria?" This wasn't good.

I tried to explain. "I didn't think she would get near you, but I couldn't be sure. I had to get rid of her. At least, I tried. I wasn't a very good tracker. I traced her south, and I have no idea at what point she came here, but she must have laid a false trail down to South America. That's mostly where I've been, looking for her."

"What if she hurt you? Edward, that was stupid _and_ reckless! You warned me against doing anything dangerous, and yet you were hunting a vampire who could have killed you!"

I didn't want to argue with Bella, but I had to see what _her_ excuse was. "In Jacob Black's mind, there was evidence of you riding motorcycles and jumping off cliffs…" I trailed off, hoping she would drop the subject.

She was silent for a couple of minutes. I hoped she wasn't angry with me. I stopped the truck and got out quickly, opening her door for her and helping her out.

Bella's Point of View 

We walked into the restaurant, holding hands, and Edward asked for a table. The restaurant was almost completely empty, so I assumed we were in Port Angeles. I hadn't paid much attention on the ride over.

We sat down, and a waitress asked us what we wanted to drink. I asked for water, and Edward copied me.

When I looked at him questioningly, he said, "You _have_ to be thirsty."

I sighed and shook my head. Truthfully, I didn't feel hungry _or _thirsty. The waitress brought us our drinks, and I sipped mine reluctantly. I immediately took a bigger drink, and I didn't stop until I had drained the whole glass. Okay, maybe I _was_ thirsty.

Edward was smiling at me, and he pushed my menu toward me with a meaningful look. I rolled my eyes and picked it up. Before I opened it, I noticed for the first time the name of the restaurant we were in.

"La Bella Italia?" I asked, confused.

"I thought it would be appropriate. A new beginning, a new start to our lives. I will never make the same mistake again, Bella. I promise you that." He sounded embarrassed, as if I would make fun of him for doing something so clichéd.

So I smiled at him. "A new beginning," I agreed.

I had my angel back. My life was perfect again.

&&&

**So, that's it. I don't think I'll even do an epilogue, but I'll get started on the sequel soon. Why do we need a sequel? Oh, it might be because Charlie now knows that the werewolves exist, and that little conflict still isn't resolved. See'ya soon!**


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